Local residents polarized by Zimmerman trial verdict

Following a Florida jury’s acquittal of George Zimmerman on all charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, Oakland County residents continue the national debate about whether the jury made the right call.

“I was upset, I was hurt, I was angry” about the weekend verdict, said Southfield native Tracy Reed, “but I would’ve been more surprised if (Zimmerman) would have gone to jail ... you knew it was going to happen ... (partly because of) the dynamics of how they set up the jury.”

Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla., was charged with second degree murder in the Feb. 26, 2012, fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin, 17. Zimmerman killed the unarmed Martin on a quiet neighborhood street after a scuffle.

The fight started after Zimmerman approached Martin to check on the teen, who was wearing a hoodie and walking alone on that misty evening. Zimmerman claimed he shot the teen in self-defense, permitted under Florida’s “stand your ground” law.

The trial was filled with racial undertones and the acquittal led to speculation of imminent civil rights litigation moving forward.

Although Zimmerman, 29, was found not guilty by a jury of six women late Saturday night, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Monday that investigations into the facts of the case have been opened by the Department of Justice upon urging from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Board of Directors Chairwoman Roslyn M. Brock — along with many others — asking the AG to file civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

Reed, a recent graduate of Georgia State University and mother of a 16-year-old black child, Kyle, said the same thing could’ve happened to her son.

“I think we all have some type of prejudice, some type of stereotype,” she said. “I think that black mothers raise their children differently than white mothers do — black mothers have to teach our children how to handle and how to deal with police.”

The mother added that there can be as many civil rights trials as prosecutors want, but she’s unsure Zimmerman will be back in court again.

“I think America’s probably tired of it — this is not the first Trayvon Martin,” Reed said, referencing the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till — a Mississippi boy who was killed in 1955 after reportedly whistling at a white woman.

A 46-year-old West Bloomfield man leaving the Oakland County Circuit courthouse Monday who wanted to be identified only as Andrew F., said he believes news media obscured information. He said he agreed with some sentiments that the Sanford district attorney should be disbarred — “It was a total railroad job,” he said. “They were chasing something that wasn’t there.”

Metro Detroit, Oakland County react

After members of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality protested the not-guilty verdict Sunday in Grand Circus Park, near Comerica Park and Ford Field in Detroit, spokesman Ron Scott said, “the ‘new South’ may not be so new.”

One positive thing as protesters marched to Detroit’s Federal Building was that there was a diverse crowd from all backgrounds. On Monday, however, he was still disgusted with Saturday’s jury decision.

“One has to wonder what was going on in that jury room,” Scott said Monday, adding that Saturday was a “sad day for civil rights in America and in the court system.”

Citing Zimmerman’s allegations that Martin appeared suspicious — the reason he allegedly followed the teen — Scott said it was wrong for Zimmerman, who is half Hispanic, to designate a group of people as dangerous based on how they look.

“Many young males feel they’re targets, and I don’t think that’s too far-fetched to think in those terms,” Scott said.

Gwen Thomas, former president of the Southern Oakland County NAACP, whose tenure ended in May, said she’s been to the Sanford area, which is nearly 20 miles northeast of Orlando.

“(Residents) would look at me if I was walking down the street, trying to figure out what I was doing there,” she said. “I’ve had some looks.” She noted that Zimmerman had a gun on him and followed the teen at night. “I think Zimmerman was looking for trouble.”

Thomas added the racial tone of the trial is going to make things worse in Michigan.

“What does this say to our children? They’ve never seen this situation. They don’t have any idea how they need to act,” Thomas said. “Now you’ve got to pay attention even when you go to the store. ... Have we not passed this racial profiling?

“Racial disparities exist in all aspects of life. ... I think, in Trayvon’s case — I was just shocked and disappointed and it sends a bad message.”

But Farmington Hills-based criminal defense attorney Ray Cassar said the jury came up with “definitely the right verdict.”

“(Zimmerman) was clearly defending himself,” said Cassar. “We feel sorry for (Martin), we really do, but the bottom line is the facts weren’t there and they couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that (Zimmerman) acted with intent.”

He said he doesn’t think the outcome of the trial will cause a major stir in Oakland County.

“People in Oakland County understand ... they watched the news, they paid attention to the case — it was an interesting case — and they realized that the jurors have a tough job and they did the right thing in this case,” said Cassar, a 29-year defense lawyer who works throughout the state.

Royal Oak man Kevin Studley, 39, said overall, it was sad that “another verdict down in Florida (went) the wrong way.”

He said another Florida case that’s called to his mind is the trial of Casey Anthony, who was found not guilty in 2011 in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. The Anthony case has been compared to the O.J. Simpson trial in media reports, and the verdict was met with outrage on both sides.

“There definitely needs to be some sort of oversight in how some of these trials are taking place and how these verdicts that seem so clear, so cut-and-dry can go this horribly wrong,” Studley said.

As America awaits the outcome of the Department of Justice’s investigation into Zimmerman’s case, Attorney General Eric Holder — while addressing the Delta Sigma Theta National Convention on Monday, said the Department of Justice is committed to standing with the people of Sanford, with the individuals and families affected by this incident, “and with our state and local partners in order to alleviate tensions, address community concerns, and promote healing.”

Tasha Farrel, 27, of Pontiac, said for Zimmerman to walk free gives him a free pass to do it again.

“If you listen to the 911 call, the evidence (of prejudice) is there,” said Farrel. “He should’ve been guilty of something. ... I think the feds are going to pick it up — it’s not over.”